The Berlin Wall Gets a Makeover

The longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall is known for its colorful and political murals.

The iconic images, though, have flaked and faded.
This summer, artists from around the world have returned to retrace their brushstrokes.

Read more Spiegel Online International

How the End of East Germany Began

The End of East Germany was ushered in by massive protests across the country. But opposition to the communist dictatorship started with a whisper.

A new exhibition in Berlin documents the early days of dissent that began in the spring of 1989 and culminated with the fall of the Wall that November.

Read more SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL

Berlin Wall Made of Giant Dominos

On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, over 1,000 giant dominos will be erected along a section of the strip that once divided East and West Germany.

The dominos will then be toppled to commemorate the end of the
Cold War.

Read more SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL

Berlin Still Divided on How to Commemorate Wall

It has been nearly 20 years since Berliners hacked away at the Wall that once separated East Germany from the West.

Two decades on its crumbling remnants remain highly controversial.
Many would like to see Berlin make more of its unique history, but old wounds are taking time to heal.

Read more SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL

Berlin Residents to Get Free Wireless Internet

Residents and visitors to Germany’s capital city will soon be able to say
“Auf Wiedersehen” to Internet cafes and DSL connections.

A new project by the local government aims to bring free Wi-Fi to
Berlin’s central districts.

Read more at SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL

Untouched Communist-Era Apartment Discovered

East German Time Warp

Time has stood still in an eastern German apartment which has only just been opened after evidently being abandoned in a hurry in early 1989.

It gives an intriguing glimpse into everyday life in communist times.

Read the full story at Spiegel Online International

END OF THE PALAST

East German Capital Makes Way for Prussian Palace

The halting pace of the building project at the center of Berlin will move ahead this week by two full steps:
A Communist building will be gone and designs for a Prussian building will be unveiled. None of which means the arguments around the project will be coming to an end any time soon.

Read more at Spiegel Online International

Festival of Lights

The FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS™ will turn Berlin into a sparkling metropolis with a firework of illuminations and events for two weeks:

14th to 26th October 2008

World-famous historical landmarks and spots in Berlin, e.g. the Brandenburg Gate, the TV or radio tower, will be staged impressively by means of light, events, projections and fireworks.
Complementary to the festival there will be numerous cultural events dealing with the subject “light”.

City Stiftung Berlin & Union Invest present the Festival of Lights

Lightseeing Tours

The owner of the Monk Apartment, Jutta Fuelbier-Floren, took these beautiful pictures.

Mauerguide – walk the wall

Berlin Resurrects Vanished Wall With GPS Guide

Visitors to Berlin are often disappointed that so little of the infamous Wall still exists. The city has launched a multimedia guide tracing the path of the Cold War barrier complete with eyewitness accounts of shootings, escapes and the everyday agony of life in its shadow.

Read the full story SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL

Mauerguide

Thank you Jasmine and Berlin Apartments

Last year my wife and I started to plan my birthday in January 2008. We wanted to do something new and also get away from everyday life in Oslo for a short wile. Berlin was our first choice for a destination as we both have totally fallen in love with this wonderful city. We also wanted to share our Berlin experience with our family – so we invited them all to join us. We have used Berlin Apartments before when we got married in Berlin and knew their superb service. Our first choice of accommodation was the Piano apartment in Kuno Fisher Strasse. We wanted to stay more then one week, while our family was to visit us in the weekend. We asked Jasmine if it was possible to rent an apartment for just one weekend and she gave us a positive answer. In that way we ended up with a total of six apartments for one weekend along with the one apartment we had – we almost took over the entire house in that period.

On Friday the hole family arrived (16 persons) and was given their keys and a presentation of their apartments. Later that evening we all joined for a big birthday party in our apartment. After a hectic day of shopping food and drinks we made a lovely dinner for our guests. With a fully equipped kitchen and help from all the family members cooking was no problem – It was a joy! The hole gang had a great time in Berlin, for some it was their first experience with the city, and we hope they will visit Berlin again.

We would like to thank Jasmine and Berlin Apartments for all help and superb service during the preparation and through the visit of our family gathering in Berlin! Linn and I will sure come back to visit you again! Thanks!!!

Linn and Baard, Oslo, Norway